Fever Off To Best Start In Franchise History

STAR OF THE GAME

TAN WHITE
White came off the bench to lead all scorers with a season-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Without a point in the first quarter, White scored all 25 points in the second, third and fourth quarters. Her 25 points scored was also the most of any Fever player this season.

UNSUNG HERO

TAMIKA WHITMORE
Whitmore scored six of the Fever’s first 11 points of the game before finishing with a season-best 22 points, all coming in the first three quarters. She led Indiana’s offensive attack early, scoring 19 points in the first half alone as the Fever began to build a lead.

QUOTABLE

BRIAN WINTERSIn general:
“I was concerned a bit about how we would fit with so many new players at the start of the season. This was a good game offensively. A lot of players got into the mix. (Linda) Frohlich played well. Tan (White) and Wit (Tamika Whitmore) played well. I wanted to rest the starters because we play tomorrow night. I like my bench. It was good to see them play well. They practice as hard as the starters and deserve to play.”

On Tan White:
“She is maturing. She is very talented. When she makes her jump shot she really plays well. She’s more disciplined. Last year she would have just gone to the basket.”

TAMIKA WHITMOREOn what separated the Fever from Liberty:
“We showed the depth on this team. Everybody got into this game and played together. Their points in the paint came from breaking us down with penetration. We stepped up and stopped their number one offense, the 3-pointer. We were in their faces tonight behind the arc.”

INDIANAPOLIS – The Fever unleashed its offense Tuesday, reaching a franchise record point total following a 91-70 victory over the visiting New York Liberty in a nationally televised game on ESPN2 at Conseco Fieldhouse. Indiana’s 91 points scored is the highest regulation total in franchise history. Only twice has a Fever team scored more points in a game, with both occurring in overtime games. With the win, the Fever improved to 4-0, which is good for the best start to a season in franchise history.

Indiana’s Tan White led all scorers in the game shooting 10-of-15 from the floor for a season-high 25 points, just one point shy of her career high. Tamika Whitmore surpassed the 20-point mark as well, finishing with a season-high 22. Anna DeForge added 14, including 4-of-4 from beyond the 3-point line. Against her former team, Linda Fröhlich led the Fever with a career-high nine rebounds.

Becky Hammon led New York’s offense with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Kelly Schumacher, who spent her first five WNBA seasons with the Fever, had 13 points and seven rebounds in her first game back in Indianapolis.

The Fever used a 16-2 run midway through the second quarter, including 10 from White, to a build a comfortable double-digit lead at 39-22. Late in the second, a rare 4-point play completed by DeForge and Tamika Catchings would give the Fever its largest lead of the half. Catchings was floored by a New York defender as DeForge netted a 3-pointer. Catchings’ free throw finished the 4-point play and gave Indiana a 19-point lead, 45-26. Indiana would go on to outscore New York 32-18 in the second quarter to take a 51-34 lead into intermission. The Fever’s 51 points in the first half is tied for second most points scored in a single half in franchise history.

New York’s Hammon kept the Liberty in the game, scoring 12 of her 20 points in the third quarter. New York cut the Indiana lead back down to single digits on a Hammond 3-pointer at the 3:46 mark of the third quarter. Indiana, though, outscored New York 12-5 for the duration of the period to extend its lead back to double digits at 72-56.

Notes:

The Fever has started the season 4-0 for the first time ever and Indiana is the only undefeated team in the WNBA this season. The four-game winning streak also ties the longest winning streak in franchise history.

Indiana has opened the season with two straight home wins for the second year in a row and the third time in its seven WNBA seasons.

The Fever remain the only undefeated team in the WNBA to date.

Tonight's game marks the 11th in Fever history in which two Indiana players scored 20+ points in the same game. However, it is the first of those 11 games in which one of the two players was not named Catchings.

Tan White's 25 points represents the most points scored by a Fever player this season and is one off her most ever in a WNBA game.

While forcing the Liberty into 12 turnovers and scoring 17 points off those errors, Indiana committed a season-low eight turnovers which resulted in just nine points off turnovers for New York.

The Fever's eight turnovers matched the fewest by any team in the league this season.

Indiana outrebounded the Liberty, 41-30, snaring 40+ rebounds for the second time this season and just the eighth time in team history. The Fever's 41 rebounds mark the seventh best total in franchise history.

Anna DeForge is just the fifth player in Fever history to hit at least four 3-pt FG without a miss in a single game. She was 4-4 tonight. The team's all-time record is 6-6 by Tamika Catchings in 2002. DeForge's 4-4 from 3-pt range ties the Fever's home record.